George Lucas, a proposed museum telling the story
of Visual Storytelling at San Francisco's Presidioby Daniel Rohlfing

Like emissaries from the distant past, stories convey the wisdom of long ago. Before the written word, stories were easy to remember and re-tell. An oral tradition could spread over long distances and could reach into the future, easily conveyed from generation to generation. From cave dwellers of Lascaux to the present, stories have been the means to know our past, a template to help us navigate in the present and a guide into our future. They tell us who we are and help shape who we hope to become.

In his proposal before the Presidio Trust, George Lucas writes, "I’m a storyteller at heart, and I understand the power of a visual image to tell a story. I know how works of art can ignite children’s imaginations and even change their lives. They changed mine. Even before I could verbalize what I was feeling, I was drawn in by Norman Rockwell’s ability to tell a complete story in a single image. And so much of that imagery captured American cultural truths and aspirations. It was then that I began to learn the art of visual storytelling. As my career as a filmmaker grew, so did my love of art and passion for collecting."

Proposed site of the Presidio Museum

In 2010, George Lucas and his kindred spirit Steven Spielberg presented a traveling exhibition of Norman Rockwell paintings through the Smithsonian Institution from their personal collections. In this film, both Lucas and Spielberg explain how Rockwell's painting appeals to them, and how his work and images have impacted American life and film.

George Lucas wishes to tell the story of Storytelling. He envisions a museum which places the wonders of 21st century film- making in context with the great storytellers of the past.

With a piece of charcoal and a torch for light, cavemen created images representing the center of their lives. They used pigments of yellow and red ochre to enliven the tales of their day. Later, egg yolk and minerals were mixed to create long lasting tempera When this paint was applied to wet lime plaster, dazzling colorful frescoes transformed once brown and gray surfaces into lively illustrations graphically proclaiming sophisticated ideas of creation, myth, and religion.

With the coming of oil painting, painters could tell stories without painting an entire wall. With the advent of paint in lead tubes, they could work outdoors and incorporate the wonders of natural light. They were freed to explore different artistic ideas, styles, techniques, and explore expression as never before. And on into the digital age, new methods and materials are being used to do what was done long ago, telling stories, expressing thought and feeling through visual art.

George Lucas and his good friend and kindred spirit Steven Spielberg have been greatly influenced by the work of Charles C. Leyendecker and Norman Rockwell. Of the two, Rockwell is better known, but Leyendecker was Norman Rockwell's mentor, and refined the art of telling a story in one frame.

Both Leyendecker and Rockwell created images which expressed the emotional tenor and mores of their times. In the beginning, their "illustrations," were not given the vaulted definition of "high art," but over time, they have been highly prized and now grace prestigious museum walls. Both Leyendecker and Rockwell went about their work as film directors They would cast their models, carefully design their sets, and devote themselves to refining the fine points of their script, their story.

Norman Rockwell, Peach Crop, c 1935

Norman Rockwell, River Pilot, 1940

Stephen Spielberg recalls his days as a youngster in the 1950's. When the Saturday Evening Post would arrive in the mail, he like most readers would study and treasure Rockwell's covers. He was amazed how an artist with just one frame could infuse all the elements of great storytelling: setting, characterization, plot, conflict and theme. In addition to these elements, Leyendecker and Rockwell gave great attention to composition and color theory, all to great effect.

One of the most endearing elements of Norman Rockwell's art are the faces of his characters, portraits bearing stories in and of themselves. Often, he would enlist the townspeople of Stockbridge, Massachusetts to serve as models, emphasizing the art found in real people, faces which tell real stories.

In Stockton, California, the Haggin Museum possesses a large collection of Charles Leyendecker's work, and Sacramento's Crocker Museum recently hosted an exhibit of Norman Rockwell's work, with some of the pieces from the Rockwell collection in Stockbridge.

Two key goals included in the Lucas proposal are that their museum will hold fast to the belief that art should be accessible to everyone, and that a wide range of educational tools will be employed to promote learning.

Exposure to the arts is key to developing talent and appreciation in the coming generations. As the stories of the past were passed on to us, so we must have storytellers to carry them forward. Once built, this proposed museum might well inspire the next William Shakespeare, Pablo Picasso, or Alfred Hitchcock.

Two photos from the Lucas Proposal, illustrating the museum's plan
for traveling exhibitions complimented by
curriculum based educational materials, all meant to inspire.

We believe this exciting proposed museum will fit well in the Presidio setting and would complement the Presidio's marvelous Walt Disney Family Museum, and the nearby Legion of Honor and the de Young Museum.

The Lucas proposal states, "Fundamental to the museum’s vision is the belief that art in all its forms should be made accessible to everyone to enjoy. To that end, the museum’s educational and interpretive program will be robust, varied, and dynamic. Approximately 45,000 to 50,000 square feet of gallery space will feature icons from the museum’s collection for permanent display as well as changing installations drawn from the museum’s holdings.

The Lucas proposal also promises diverse public programing,
providing opportunities to learn of new
and emerging technologies used in the visual arts.

The collection provides vast opportunities for refreshed exhibit themes in the permanent and special exhibit galleries that will explore the significance of visual media in contemporary life."

Regarding education, the proposal states, "A broad range of educational tools will be used to help promote learning, both within the museum setting and remotely, to foster a spirit of group and individual exploration, study, contemplation, dialogue, and discovery. The museum will represent excellence in the industry, employ best practices, and retain a deep expertise in its holdings and their interpretation, while also inviting community involvement and the sharing of perspectives for its programming."

The Presidio Trust has but one commissary site, but a collection of worthy proposals. Click here to view to the proposals. There are strong and vocal opinions being voiced in support of all of them. To voice your opinions, email the Presidio Trust (commissary@presidiotrust.gov). Their next meeting is Tuesday, April 9th.

Palm Desert, home of the Stephen B. Chase Art Collection, and "The Living Desert"by Daniel Rohlfing

Palm Desert's "The Living Desert" is well known as a beautiful botanical and zoological park, showing the flora and fauna of the Mojave. But that's not all. "The Living Desert" also has a wonderful exhibition of historic California paintings.

The published descriptions of this wondrous place are inadequate. It is an enchanted garden, thoughtfully planned and immaculately maintained. I couldn't help but express while there how glad I was we made the trip. And, upon departing, I promised myself that I would one day return.

The Living Desert's administration building is adjacent to the admissions gate, and houses the Stephen B. Chase Art Collection. The collection includes an impressive sampling of some of California's greatest painters.

The Living Desert, Mountain Lion posing for a portrait

Ocotillo

The Living Desert, Jaguar with a favorite toy

The collection includes forty-nine paintings by twenty-two artists. The collection spans the period between 1900 and the late 1930s. Fourteen of the paintings depict Coachella Valley scenes, while others are of landscapes throughout California.

Franz Bischoff, In the Gold, the Sloping Vale Subsides

Conrad Buff, Palm Springs, 1928

Dynamic development and change characterize American art history at the turn of the twentieth century. Impressionism was the dominant style that emerged during this time, especially suited to the dramatic, pristine landscape and shimmering light of California. Artists painting in California between 1900 and 1950 were driven by admiration of French Impressionism and their appreciation for the California landscape, climate and quality of light.

William Ritschel, Quiet Waters

Mary DeNeale Morgan, Lazy Day on the Drive

In southern California, landscape painting was an especially popular subject, with many artists painting plein air, or out of doors, to best capture the bright, buoyant and fleeting quality of the light. Artists known for plein air painting represented in this collection include Granville Redmond, Marion Kavanagh Wachtel, William Wendt, Franz A. Bischoff, Edgar Payne, Jean Mannheim and Maurice Braun, among others.

Granville Redmond, Cloudy Day at Monterey

William Wendt, Laguna Beach

California's landscape and light were natural subjects for artists painting in the Impressionist style either plein air or in the studio. The paintings in this collection resonate with color, texture and light, from cool coastal scenes to rugged mountains and their wooded glades down to arid desert vistas interspersed with vivid wildflowers and lush palm oases.

Edwin Deakin's Paintings,
Preserving the story of the of the California's Missionsby Daniel Rohlfing

Last month, we featured the Edwin Deakin's oil paintings currently on display at the Crocker Museum. (see article)

But
Deakin's most famous achievement were his paintings of California's 21 missions. He completed three sets of paintings of the missions, two in oil and one in watercolor. Sullivan Goss Gallery in Santa Barbara is currently displaying some of his watercolors and has produced the video below.

One set of his Mission oil paintings resides at the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History, and the second is at the Santa Barbara Mission Archive Library.

The Spanish Missions were the first European settlements of California. The 21 missions were established along California's Coast, roughly one day's horse ride from the next, strategically built like a coastal necklace to dissuade any Russian colonial activity in California, and as a means of spreading Spanish colonial dominance of the region and to spread Christianity to the native populations.

Sullivan Goss Gallery of Santa Barbara marks its 29th year in business with a historic exhibition of 21 watercolor paintings of each of California's historic Missions created between 1897-1900 by Edwin Deakin (1838-1923). Exhibited perhaps just once in over a century at the Los Angeles Museum of History, Science, and Art in 1966, these watercolors have been held privately by just two owners outside the artist's family and appear as fresh today as the day they were painted.

The first mission was started in 1769 and the last one finished in 1823. Along the way, the Spanish discovered San Francisco Bay in 1769. The missions laid the groundwork for the rancheros to follow. Spain and Mexico had established themselves well in California, until the Gold Rush with its tidal wave of immigrants from the American East, Europe and Asia ripped it from their control.

Below are a sampling of Edwin Deakin's Oil Paintings telling the story of the California Missions

Stairway at Mission San Gabriel Arcangel

Mission Delores and the Mansion House, San Francisco 1870

Mission Santa Clara de Asis, 1899

Mission San Jose, 1899

Mission San Juan Bautista, 1899

Mission San Rafael Arcangel, c 1899es

Santa Barbara Mission, 1880's

San Gabriel Mission

San Carlos Borromeo del Rio Carmelo, 1899

A footnote ... Santa Rosa's Press Democrat published a story on Friday March 8 reporting that the state is restoring the roadside bells commemoratively marking the path of the El Camino Real. As this horse path once linked the missions, today's roadside bells help link us to our storied Spanish past.

Best described as a homecoming, Kathi Hilton, painter of eloquently quiet and soft interpretations of the Mojave Desert, is honored with an exhibit in April at the Palm Desert Historical Society.

Kathi is well rooted in the California desert painting tradition. Her father was John W. Hilton, a long time artist, author and desert enthusiast.

While growing up, John W. Hilton's frequent house guests included a "Who's Who?" of California Desert Painting legends, including Maynard Dixon, Clyde Forsythe, and Marjorie Reed. Marjorie often served as one of Kathi's baby-sitters. As Kathi grew into adulthood, she maintained friendships with some of her father's old crowd, most notably actor James Cagney.

Kathi Hilton, Symphony of Sand

Kathi got to know Jimmy in Los Angeles where Kathi lived with her mother after she and John were divorced. Kathi attended high school with James Cagney's daughter and attended parties hosted by the Cagneys, including one on his yacht.

While visiting her father in Twentynine Palms, Kathi learned Jimmy Cagney also had a home in Twentynine Palms and loved getting away from the Hollywood glitz. He was John W. Hilton's neighbor and often visited John's studio where the two would paint and sketch. In a moment of artistic frustration, Kathi once confided in Jimmy, telling him that people seemed to like her paintings but were always comparing them to paintings done by her father.

Kathi beams with pride when she quotes Jimmy's response, "Don't you worry about that Katy. You just paint what's in your heart." Kathi adds, "That is the best advice I ever received."

Kathi's paintings are often displayed in our gallery alongside those of her father, and after careful observation, we can report that both receive favorable mention, but that Kathi's seem to garner the most interest. In fact, she is one of our best selling artists, and considering we're a north coast gallery, that's quite an honor for a artist of desert paintings. People often comment on the soft luster of these paintings, and how they convey the the magic of the desert, its solitude, poetry, and beauty.

If you are anywhere close to Palm Springs in April, stop by and view Kathi's exquisite work. Kathi is planning to visit the exhibit on April 13 along with experts Kevin Stewart and Gary Fillmore who can tell visitors information about paintings brought in by appointment. We invite you to become one of Kathi's fans, and maybe one of her pieces may grace your walls soon.

Also in Palm Desert on April 13 as part of the Palm Desert Festival of Opera and Art, there will be docent guided public art tours exploring the outdoor sculptures around town. Scroll down on the this link to see a sampling of the publicly displayed sculpture to be seen in Palm Desert.

Gallery Hours are 11:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., Wednesday through Sunday. We are also available for scheduled appointments, especially for those who wish to view the gallery on Mondays or Tuesdays. Please call Dan at the gallery and schedule a visit, or call him on his cellphone, 510-414-9821

The Tall Ships are coming to Bodega Bay again this year! April 2 - 9. Click here for more information.

In Campbell (east of San Jose) Ainsley House is offering an exhibition through June 30th of Francis Cutting paintings entitled The Painter Around the Corner: Francis Cutting, A California Impressionist. Cutting was a lifelong resident of Campbell, but also maintained a studio and home in Pacific Grove. He created landscapes throughout California and Oregon, but is most known for his cottage scenes of Pacific Grove.

Beginning April 6, The Petaluma Arts Center features Mars-1, Damon Soule and Oliver Vernon, and a large scale mural on the Phoenix Theater by North Bay artist Ricky Watts. Santa Rosa's Press Democrat features Richy Watt's mural on the wall of the Phoenix Theater in their Saturday, March 30th edition.

The Ren Brown Collection
"Established in 1989 and specializes in contemporary art from both sides of the Pacific.
Now showing ... New ACQUISITIONS - TANSU CHESTS & ANTIQUES http://www.renbrown.com | Back to the Top

IN Santa Rosa The Annex Galleries specializing in 19th, 20th, and 21st century American and European fine prints
now showing ... Stanley William Hayter and the influence of Atelier The Annex Galleries is a member of the International Fine Print Dealers Association (IFPDA).http://www.AnnexGalleries.com| Back to the Top

IN PETALUMAVintage Bank AntiquesVintage Bank Antiques is located in Historic Downtown Petaluma, corner of Western Avenue and Petaluma Blvd. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Warren Davis and the rest of the team at Vintage Bank Antiques has assembled a spectacular inventory of paintings. From the 18th Century to Contemporary Artists. We have paintings to suit every price point and collector level.
If you have a painting for sale, please consider Vintage Bank Antiques. Contact Warren Davis directly at WarrenDavisPaintings@yahoo.com101 Petaluma Blvd. North, Petaluma, CA 94952, ph: 707.769.3097http://vintagebankantiques.com | Back to the Top

IN PETALUMAPetaluma Arts Council"... to celebrate local artists and their contributions and involve the whole communityCosmic Terrain, Damon Soule and Oiver Vernon and a large scale mural by Ricky Watts.April 6 - June 2http://www.petalumaartscouncil.org |Back to the Top